Annual report.

  • Newcastle upon Tyne Borough Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    12/40 (page 10)
    LUNACY. Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum, July 28, 1884. We have to-day inspected this Asylum, which, apart from the crowded state of its wards, is in very good order. At the last visit of Commissioners, in April of last year, the total number of patients was 269, to-day it is 296 ; and we learn that the number of private cases has been reduced, and that no more of that class will be taken at present, and further, that all the patients chargeable to Berwick have been removed. It is obvious, then, that the extension of the Asylum (plans for which have in principle been settled in conference with members of our Board) has become a matter of pressing necessity. Mr. Wickham has pointed out to us difficulties in the way of building on the site agreed upon, at the conference mentioned above, and has shown us alternative sites for the proposed wings. Without, of course, binding our Board on the subject, we may say that we see no serious objection to these alternative sites, and that we think it probable they will be approved. The exten- sion on the male side must not in any case be brought nearer than is desirable to the public road bounding the estate in that direction ; but this objection will apply less to the new than to the original site. On the female side there is plenty of room, but the site now proposed will not interfere with the existing rain-water tanks, and will interfere less with the laundry drying ground than that agreed upon. Here we may say that in view of the increasing numbers of patients, an addition to the Asylum estate would be very desirable, and should the opportunity ofi'ei of affecting this we trust that advantage may be taken of it. The 296 patients consists of exactly equal numbers of each sex. One woman is on leave. Since the last visit 67 male and